Who Invented The Vacuum Cleaner In 1868?

Last Updated on September 3, 2022

We know vacuum cleaners as lifesavers in our daily busy routines. It is becoming even more convenient to clean each day with many technological advancements. You will find it difficult to choose between a variety of vacuum cleaners. And their different types, features, and models. There are so many brands offering various models of vacuum cleaners to make the life of users more efficient and convenient. 

Take robotic vacuums as an example. You do not have to move with them to collect the dirt. Its sensors will detect the debris and clean it without your guidance. But do you know the history of this little fellow? How many changes has it gone through with time and technology to end up like this? Let us look at its evolution history filled with failures and successes.

Before vacuum cleaners, people usually sweep the floors with brooms and dustpans. Cleaning was a very tiring and time-consuming job before cleaners. And if there is a carpet. Some people tend to beat it up by manually removing the dirt from it. And it was done once or twice a year as it was pretty challenging to clean. In addition, brushing away the dirt from carpets was not as beneficial because it takes away the lint from the surface with debris. Which makes fine dust steep through it. That results in the cleaning tasks being even messier.

Even after the first vacuum in 1860, early models were not very famous because of their price and size. There were different phases in the evolution of vacuum cleaners. The first phase was manual vacuum cleaners. Also known as carpet sweepers. It was invented by Daniel Hess of West Union, Iowa. It consisted of a brush that rotates to gather dust. And for generating suction, it had bellows. However, these were not produced in large quantities.

After that, Ives W. McGaffey introduced the new version of vacuum cleaner known as “Whirlwind” in Chicago in 1868. It was the first patented vacuum, but it did not go as planned. Many factors lead to its short-term success. However, he incorporated the fan in the device for moving in the air for a change, and it was held in an upright position for the first time, which makes it stand out. But it was still manual, and you needed to work on cranking yourself, which was not the solution for making cleaning tasks easy. 

As we move on to 1876, Melville Reuben Bissell was very successful in his struggle to make this thing better than before. It was named a carpet sweeper, and it was mechanical. It is still beloved among users.

A further better enhancement in this carpet sweeper is on Corinne Dufour of Savannah. The first patent for a carpet sweeper was granted to him in 1890.

Further moving on, a new innovation became very famous by the end of the 19th century that made the impossible possible. Using gasoline as a fuel resource for vacuum cleaners makes it even better. In 1901 Hubert Cecil Booth from England used the motor to operate the cleaner and named it Puffing Billy. It was a large machine and needed support from horses to transport it from one place to another. 

Later in 1905, Walter Griffiths did revolutionary work on a patent for Puffing Billy. He made some changes to it and made it usable on both carpets and floors. Also, it was the device that resembles vacuum cleaners nowadays.

Soon after, a janitor named James Murray Spangler made an electricity-powered vacuum with the help of an electric motor, a soapbox, a broom handle, and a pillowcase. He also incorporated a rotating brush that aided in loosening dirt and debris. Interestingly, frequent asthma and allergy attacks motivated him to invent something useful for his situation.

The patent of his rotating brush was later sold to William H. hoover. Hoover is still a very well-known brand for manufacturing vacuum cleaners. You will often hear the word hoover used instead of vacuum. Also, people use it as a verb like Hoovering.

Later, the first cordless vacuum cleaner was introduced by James Dyson in 1974.

This process of innovation never stops. Even you will see so many new features and alterations regarding its size, designs, or weight.

As previously described, Ives W. McGaffey invented the very first vacuum cleaner with a mechanical turning shaft in Chicago. He named this device Whirlwind. This cleaner was designed in an upright position, as we see in our modern vacuums. It consists of a belt-driven fan and a turning shaft /crank to rotate the brush, which sweeps off the dirt into a trash receptacle. Although it was hard to work with, it became famous as a first hand-pumped vacuum cleaner. People also credited him for using a mechanical turning shaft to generate power.

The American carpet cleaning company helped McGaffey sell this cleaner in Boston and Chicago. Many models were sold even for 25 dollars at that time. Unfortunately, it is said that most of the devices were lost due to the Chicago fire in 1871. 

Whirlwind became popular at first for its distinction from the previous model. But it still lacks many features to stand out. The manual cranking system was the main drawback as it was very exhausting for users. You have to turn the crank while pushing the device from place to place for the dirt removal. That is why sweeping still seems easy as compared to this. 

Bissell took up the work of McGaffey and introduced the brushes connected with wheels in his carpet sweeper. As time passes, newer versions solved the problems in the previous one, and we are here with so many companies with their unique features in each model. Be it from heavy-duty vacuum cleaners to small portable vacuum cleaners. You can select one according to your preference or lifestyle. You will even find vacuums for pet owners too. Voice command feature in vacuum cleaners is also gaining success these days.